John Hope Bryant Commentary: Wanted: A New Entrepreneurial Youth Revolution In The Middle East

John Hope Bryant (in black suit) after a speech in Saudi Arabia

The centrist founder of Operation HOPE, a Los Angeles-based financial literacy organization, who recently returned from a trip to the Middle East, writes: "The MENA [Middle East and North Africa] region is anticipated to have a population of more than 180 million by 2010, and a need for 100 million jobs. 100 million. A doubling or more of the current jobs calendar in the region, basically. And there is no greater national -- no global security -- threat than a region that is majority youth, under the age of 25, who are exposed to the outside world and those possibilities and opportunities (the Internet, social media, etc), with too much time on their hands, no jobs, even fewer entrepreneurial opportunities, and increasingly without hope. The most dangerous person in the world, is a person with no hope."

He continues: "Thus far, it has been extremist forces that have caught the attention and unfortunately, the imagination sadly, locked onto the hopelessness of this army of the youth throughout the Middle East. But what if there was a different movement, for a majority of supercharged and super engaged youth to grab onto. A movement around youth entrepreneurship. What the world needs now is not less hope, but more of it. What the MENA region needs now is to spark a generation of youth entrepreneurship, small business owners and self-employment projects. This is where the 100 million of jobs needed by 2020 will come from. Not anywhere else. In fact, it is well known that most new job growth actually comes from start-up businesses in their early years of operation."

More: "I believe in the youth of the MENA Region. I actually believe in the power, vision and influence of the leaders I met in Saudi Arabia, to help create this change.  Leaders such as SEDCO Holdings, which has launched a comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility strategy that is focused on teaching college students financial literacy, as a first step towards financial inclusion, financial dignity, and economic freedom. But mostly, I believe in the amazing, untapped and positive potential of the many young people I encountered there -- women included -- who can be the change we want and need to see in the region. HOPE Business In A Box and the Gallup-HOPE Index, I confirmed while there, are as relevant and needed in Saudi Arabia as it is right here in the urban, inner-city communities of the United States of America.  Hope and hopelessness, are not defined by region or ethnicity.  Everyone ultimately wants the same thing -- a shot at real opportunity, real aspiration, a real job, or alternatively, to be able to create something that changes the world.  We have now seen the hopelessness version of this.  Let's now give the hope-filled version a try."